Rate My Professor Elsie Harper-Anderson

Harper-Anderson’s research examines the effects of macroeconomic transformations on regional economies and urban labor markets, emphasizing social equity, sustainability, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her work explores connections between economic development and workforce development, entrepreneurship as a means to reduce disparities, and minority entrepreneurship challenges. Key publications include “What Makes Business Incubation Work? Measuring the Influence of Incubator Quality and Regional Capacity on Incubator Outcomes” (Economic Development Quarterly, 2018, co-authored with David A. Lewis), “Intersections of Partnership and Leadership in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Comparing Three U.S. Regions” (Economic Development Quarterly, 2018), “Contemporary Entrepreneurship: Intersections of Business Formation, Work and Race in Chicago” (Urban Affairs Review, 2017), and “Exploring What Greening the Economy Means for African American Workers, Entrepreneurs, and Communities” (Economic Development Quarterly, 2012). She co-edited Racial Equity, COVID-19, and Public Policy: The Triple Pandemic (2023) with Susan Gooden and Jay Albanese. Harper-Anderson received the 2016 Wilder School Excellence in Teaching Award, serves on the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building advisory board, chairs the Urban Affairs Association Governing Board, and is a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning’s Committee on Diversity. She was a former APPAM Entrepreneurship Policy Faculty Fellow, with research funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Chicago Urban League. She teaches courses on economic development, labor markets, and urban development policy.